ICA Japan - India 1998

Project Objectives

･ Bring awareness among villagers about degradation of natural resources, provide them skills such as tree planting technologies, and motivate them to join in environment conservation activities with confidence.
･ Regenerate eco-system by increasing vegetation cover.
･ Strengthen indigenous resource base such as land, water, and human beings, and increase their productivity.
･ Improve villagersﾕ living standard by increasing their income.
･ Secure year round employment opportunities and other income generation avenues.
･ Construct access road toward the nursery and the Envionment Education Center to make activities during monsoon season possible.

Activities

･ Environment education and leadership training for the villagers
･ Tree planting at Malegaon tree planting project site
･ Access road construction
･ Environment Education Center access road side tree planting

Benefits to the local people

･ Villagers have deeper understanding of importance of environment conservation.
･ Villagers acquired knowledge and skills of nursery care and tree planting.
･ Villagers of Mulshi, a neighboring village, started tree planting encouraged by Malegaon project.
･ Villagers became confident and responsible for environment conservation activities.
･ Access road construction made activities during Monsoon seasons possible.

Agroforestry Tree Planting and Access Road Construction Malegaon Tree Planting site. Villagers with beautiful smiles are enjoying tree plating activities. Villagers of Mulshi, a neighboring village, started a tree planting project, encouraged by Malegaon project.
Project Objectives ･ Bring awareness among villagers about degradation of natural resources, provide them skills such as tree planting technologies, and motivate them to join in environment conservation activities with confidence. ･ Regenerate eco-system by increasing vegetation cover. ･ Strengthen indigenous resource base such as land, water, and human beings, and increase their productivity. ･ Improve villagersﾕ living standard by increasing their income. ･ Secure year round employment opportunities and other income generation avenues. ･ Construct access road toward the nursery and the Envionment Education Center to make activities during monsoon season possible. Activities ･ Environment education and leadership training for the villagers ･ Tree planting at Malegaon tree planting project site ･ Access road construction ･ Environment Education Center access road side tree planting Benefits to the local people ･ Villagers have deeper understanding of importance of environment conservation. ･ Villagers acquired knowledge and skills of nursery care and tree planting. ･ Villagers of Mulshi, a neighboring village, started tree planting encouraged by Malegaon project. ･ Villagers became confident and responsible for environment conservation activities. ･ Access road construction made activities during Monsoon seasons possible.
Environment Education
	1. Afforestation Management and Leadership Training for villagers was held from Feb. 22 to 24, 1999. In this training, four lecturers provided participants necessary information and skills for environment conservation such as types and uses of trees, and how to take care of seedlings. Participants were also encouraged to feel ownership and motivated to take initiatives in project management.
	2. Dr. Chitnis, an agriculturist, is explaining the use of trees and importance of tree planting. In his hand is a gliricidia seedling which is a nitrogen fixing plant.
	3. A participant is asking about trees. A workshop was conducted during the training, and the participants came up with an implementation plan.
Tree planting at Malegaon project site
	4. 8000 trees were planted in 20 hectres at the Malegaon project site. The sign board shows that the tree planting project is supported by Japans National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization.
	5. Seedlings were delivered to Malegaon, and school children helped unload the seedlings.
	6. Villagers themselves choose types of trees to plant. They planted eucalyptus, teak, cashewnut, mango, acacia, etc.
	7. Tree planting site in Kune village. Mr. Mukesh Taksande, tree planting supervisor, is showing the sign board.
	8. Mr. Kalu Therkude of Kune village. He understands the importance of afforestation, and willingly accepted to make his farm land one of the tree planting sites.
Access Road Construction
	9. Road before construction. The road gets impassable for vehicles during monsoon seasons. Activities such as delivering seedlings from the nursery was impossible and environmental training was difficult because of the bad condition of the road. Therefore, the road between the nursery of the Environmental Education Center and the highway which connect Mumbai and Pune was constructed.
	10. Some parts of the proposed road were not accessible because of plants. A road designer and a machine operator are discussing how to clear the road.
	11. Plants and soil in the path where the road to be built were removed with the bulldozer.
	12. Soil was removed and the whole the road was leveled with the bulldozer. The work started in front of the Environmental Education Center.
	13. Drainage ditch was prepared beside the road.
	14. After leveling, large stones were placed to create a lasting road foundation.
	15. A part of the road covered with rubble stones. The lower parts on both side of the road are drainage.
	16. After putting rubble stones, rock soil was spread on the road. Now it is ready for roller pressing.
	17. A worker who is spreading water and pressing the road with a roller.
Bridge Construction
	18. A bridge was constructed on a small river to let water go through pipes. Construction work was done in the dry season. Ground preparation with cement and small rocks for pipe installation was done first, and a wall to protect road from water flow of the river was constructed.
	19. The pipes were installed.
	20. The bridge completed. It is now passable for vehicles even in monsoon season.
	21. The completed road. The sign board shows that the road construction was implemented by ICA supported by National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization.
	22. The road is 500m long, and 3m wide. Afforestation and training activities in monsoon season will be easier thanks to the road.
	23. Another sign board about the project was installed on the gate wall of the center.
Environment Education Center Access Road Side Trees
	24. Trees were planted around the Environmental Education Center and along the road. These trees will educate the participants, and make their life more comfortable by providing wind break, shade, fence, and reducing air pollution. Trees will also add beauty, and their fruits will provide income.
	25. Five people joined in the tree planting of 4000 trees, such as eucalyptus, acacia, tamarind, cashewnuts, gulmohar, and custard apple. Mr. Vithal Virnak and Mr. Namdeo Waje, care takers of the center, are seen planting trees in the light rain.

Agroforestry Tree Planting and Access Road Construction

Agroforestry Tree Planting
and Access Road Construction